1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a missile launching system for a wide body aircraft which is adapted to more fully utilize the payload capacity of the aircraft.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Prior missile launching systems are of three general types: (1) rotary launchers on trolleys which are translated on the main deck of the aircraft to a side eject opening, (2) rotary launchers located within weapons bays under the main deck of the aircraft, and (3) mechanical arms which pick up the missiles from transport rails and successively translate them outside of the aircraft, and then eject them downwardly.
These prior systems are unsatisfactory for several reasons, including: (1) difficult umbilical management, (2) a limitation in the quantity of missiles which they can handle, (3) a slow launch rate, and (4) a low inherent reliability in some cases due to system vulnerability to a single mechanical malfunction.
Rotary type launchers for missiles existing in the patent literature can be found in: U.S. Pat. No. 2,447,941, granted Aug. 24, 1948, to Jack Imber and Hugh Charles Hebard; U.S. Pat. No. 2,646,786, granted July 28, 1953, to Frank H. Robertson; U.S. Pat. No. 2,826,120, granted Mar. 11, 1958, to John M. Lang and Richard T. Graham; U.S. Pat. No. 2,900,874, granted Aug. 25, 1959, to Willard W. Tjossem; U.S. Pat. No. 3,318,042, granted May 9, 1967, to Tobin Wolf; U.S. Pat. No. 3,228,295, granted Jan. 11, 1966, to Garold A. Kane, Harrison Randolph, Robert E. Carlberg, John S. Scheurich, Palmer G. Wermager, Arthur G. Blomquist, Robert L. Kossan and Martin J. Clune; U.S. Pat. No. 4,040,334, granted Aug. 9, 1977, to Rollo G. Smethers, Jr.; British Pat. No. 579,310, granted Aug. 4, 1936, to Boulton Paul Aircraft Limited; British Pat. No. 579,560, granted Aug. 5, 1936, to Boulton Paul Aircraft Limited; British Pat. No. 712,248, granted July 21, 1954, to Saunders-Roe Limited; German Pat. No. 314,993, granted Feb. 18, 1921, to Robert Woerner; and Swedish Pat. No. 82,932, granted Mar. 19, 1955, to L. Orlando.
The foregoing patents should be carefully considered when putting the missile launching system of the present invention into proper perspective relative to the prior art.